Cigarette



y 8, 1965 c. c. COHN 3,183,914

CIGARETTE Filed Jan. 24, 1962 INTUMESGENT COMPOSITION TOBACCO PARTICLESF l G. I.

INVENTOR. CHARLES C. COHN ATT 3,183,914 Patented May 18, 1965 3,183,914CIGARETTE Charles C. Colin, Atlantic City, N.J., assignor to Samuel L.Cohn and Charles C. Cohn, doing business as Colonial Alloys Company,Philadelphia, Pa., a partnership Filed Jan. 24, 1962, Ser. No. 168,532The portion of the term of the patent subsequent to Apr. 23, 1979, hasbeen disciaimed 8 Claims. (Cl. 1314) This invention relates to animproved cigarette characterized by a combination of outstandingbeneficial features including fireproofing effects as well as propertiestending to make smoking more healthy and enjoyable.

In my copending application, Serial No. 71,868, filed November 18, 1960,now Patent No. 3,030,963, dated April 24, 1962, I have disclosed acigarette having a wrapper on which there are deposits of aWater-soluble silicate that foams under the burning heat of thecigarette, thereby producing protuberances to insulate the burningcigarette from a supporting surface. This phenomenon is known asintumescence which, for purposes of the invention, may be described asthe swelling up or pufiing of the material upon heating thereof, withaccompanying violent escape of moisture. The present invention isconcerned rather with the application of this phenomenon in a somewhatdifferent manner comprising, namely, the use of an intumescent materialas a constituent in combination with the tobacco filler. Many surprisingbeneficial effects result from the presence of such material in thecigarette, as will be discussed hereafter.

The invention is strikingly different from, and not to be confused with,certain prior art expedients of which I am aware and which involvecertain materials added to the tobacco for various purposes. Silicones,vermiculite and silica gels, as examples, have been added but they donot possess the foaming properties which are significant to the presentinvention.

In accordance with the preferred form of the invention a sodium silicateis mixed with or applied to the tobacco although, as will be seen, theuse of other non-toxic alkali metal silicates, and alums iscontemplated. Taking sodium silicate as an example, if it is mixed withtobacco in the form of granules, or applied thereto in solution, whenthe cigarette is smoked the heat generated will cause a foamy pulling upof the silicate and release of its water of hydration. The fusedsilicate prevents dropping of tobacco ash and also acts as an insulationto prevent burning of any surface, such as furniture, on which thecigarette may be placed. As to smoking qualities, the released moisturecools the smoke and acidity of harmful products in the smoke tends to beneutralized by virtue of the silicate alkalinity. Silicate provided ingranular form also filters the smoke.

Accordingly, it is the main object of the invention to provide animproved cigarette which is characterized by more enjoyable andhealthful smoking while also minimizing the dangers of fire normallyresulting from dropping ash and contact of the burning cigarette withcombustible materials.

The above and other objectives and advantages of the invention willbecome apparent from a consideration of the following description inconjunction with the drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a showing of a cigarette constructed in accordance with theinvention; and

FIGURE 2 is a section taken on line 2--2 of FIG- URE 1.

Passing now to a detailed disclosure of the invention, water-solublesilicates are comm-on and are commercially available in a broad scale ofc ompositions in both solid' and liquid forms. Sodium silicates, forexample, are Widely used, particularly in liquid form, as detergents,preservers, adhesives and fireproofing and many other uses. In its drystate (water glass) sodium silicate takes a lump form and, of course,may contain variable amounts of water. Accordingly, availablecompositions are listed commercially in terms of various percentages andratios of the component sodium monoxide (Na O) and silicon dioxide (SiOand of water content. Therefore, similar terms will be employedhereafter in specific examples of usable silicate compositions.

Of essence is the fact that the silicate composition contains asuificient percentage of water to result in intumes cence when heated,the temperature at which this occurs being approximately at the boilingtemperature of Water. As will be seen from the specific examples givenhereafter, commercial silicates typically contain from 11% to 68% watercontent by weight. However, high water content is desired and it will beunderstood that compositions of over 68% water content by Weight arewithin the scope of the invention. The weight and/or molecular ratio ofNa O to SiO (weight ratio and molecular ratio for their constitucuts areapproximately equal because of their identical molecular weights) insuch commmercial compositions will be found to range from 2:1 to 1:4.

Considering next the granular forms of silicates, in accordance with theinvention the following commercially listed compositions may be usedsuccessfully:

The above percentages are in terms of total weight. It has been foundthat the above granular composition preferably should have a mesh sizeof 50 to 65. Depending upon the mesh size, the above granularcompositions are combined with the shredded tobacco in a mixturecomprising up to 50% by weight of silicate, the silicate percentagebeing greater for larger particles and less for finer particles.

An example of a cigarette according to the invention may contain 50milligrams of Composition A, of a mesh size of 50 to 60, per milligramsof tobacco. This composition as furnished is in the form of largerparticles and if so used only 40 milligrams of this composition per 100milligrams of tobacco are mixed. Prefer-ably, however, atobacco-silicate mixture containing less than 25% of the above silicatesis used.

When a. cigarette containing a silicate composition according to theabove examples is smoked, the sodium silicate in the area of burningfoams up and forms a hard insulating mass interspersed with tobaccoashes. This is accompanied with a release of the water of hydration,which effects a humidifying and cooling of the smoke stream.Furthermore, particularly in the case of silicates having higher alkaliratios, there is a neutralizing effect on acid vapors contained in thesmoke stream. The fusing of silicate and ashes, of course, has theeffect of preventing the dropping of ashes as well as of insulating theburning zone from any surface with which it is brought into contact.Damage to furniture and the starting of fires thereby are prevented. Afurther effect is that silicate granules ahead of the burning zone,i.e., toward the mouth end of the cigarette, have a filtering effect;

It has been found that silicates having high Water content arepreferred. A highly desirable silicate may be produced by theevaporation of a silicate solution until.

it reaches a semi-solid or plastic state. Take, for example, a solutionas furnished having the following Composition D in terms of weight:

Percent SiO 26.30 Na G 10.50 H O 63.20

When this composition is partly dried by exposure to the atmosphere itreaches a plastic consistency, the loss of Water in this process beingapproximately 3%. A composition thereby results having a desirably highWater content of approximately 60% by weight, the percentages by weightof silicon dioxide'and sodium monoxide then being, respectivelyapproximately 28.6% and 11.4% The plastic matter is then ground to amesh size of 50* to 80. Afurther decided advantage of this granularsilicate is that it weighs about 4 pounds per cubic foot as compared toapproximately 59 pounds for Composition A above. These high-watercontent particles also disperse themselves more uniformly through thetobacco, because their bulk density more closely approximates that ofthe tobacco shreds.

The silicate can be applied to the tobacco directly in solution form.Further examples of commercially available silicates which can be soapplied have the following compositions by weight as furnished.

The solutions are applied to tobacco in drops, the size of foamedsilicate deposits created in the burned tobacco being dependent on thesize of the drops applied. The silicate dries readily on the tobacco andwhen a cigarette made therefrom is smoked the intumescent effects arethe same as described hereinabove in connection with granular forms ofsilicate. A considerably lower percentage of silicate solution by weightis added to the tobacco, however, than in the case of granularsilicates.

It will be understood that the scope of the invention is intended toinclude other compositions having the physical foaming andWater-releasing properties described I above. The'alums, for example,have similar properties and may be used. These includeammonium-aluminumsulphates, sodium-aluminum-sulphates,potassium-alumihum-sulphates, and the corresponding non-toxic, iron andmanganese alums involving the same alkali metal sulphates, all of whichalums contain large amounts (24H O) of water of crystallization. (Fromthe standpoint of their intumescence chrome alums might be used; butthere is an aspect of possible toxicity involved. Similarly variousother alums have more or less toxicity and are, therefore,contraindicated.) Also usable are the intumescent non-toxic mineralsilicates which contain substantial amounts of water. These silicatesare, in general, insoluble, but may be mixed in granular or powderedform with the tobacco, producing, on smoking,

, results similar to those described above in connection with thesoluble silicates and the alums. Among such mineral silicates which areusable are the following: cancrinite, chabazite, epistilbite,gismondite, gmelinite, laumonite, levynite and thomsonite.

It will be understood that although the invention has been describedasapplied to cigarettes, it is applicable also to and includes cigars andpipe tobacco.

"It will befurther understood that various departures from thespecifically disclosed embodiments of the invention can be made withoutdeparting from the scope thereof as defined by the following claims:

What is claimed is:

l. A cigarette or the like comprising a wrapper, a tobacco fillercontained within said wrapper and a nontoxic alkali metal silicatecomposition interspersed with the tobacco particles, said silicatecomposition being distributed throughout the filter and beingintumescent to such an extent that it foams up and fuses under the heatof the burning cigarette to such a substantial extent to hold thetobacco ash on the cigarette and to insulate the burning portion of thecigarette from a supporting structure to prevent burning thereof, saidcomposition having a weight ratio of sodium oxide to silicon dioxidewithin the range of 2:1 to 1:4.

2. A cigarette or the like comprising a wrapper, a tobacco fillercontained Within said wrapper and a nontoxic sodium silicate compositionin granular form interspersed with the tobacco particles, said silicatecomposition being distributed throughout the filler and beingintumescent so that it foams up and fuses under the heat of the burningcigarette to such a substantial extent to hold the tobacco ash on thecigarette and to insulate the burning portion of the cigarette from asupporting structure to prevent burning thereof, said composition havinga weight ratio of sodium monoxidezsilicon dioxide within the range of2:1 to 1:4.

3. A cigarette or the like comprising a Wrapper, a tobacco fillercontained within said wrapper and a nontoxic sodium silicate compositionin granular form interspersed. with the tobacco particles, said silicatecomposition being distributed throughout the filler and beingintumescent so that it foams up and fuses under the heat of the burningcigarette to such a substantial extent to hold the tobacco ash on thecigarette and to insulate the burning portion of the cigarette from asupporting structure to prevent burning thereof, said compositioncomprising in terns of total weight approximately 29.5% silicon dioxide,28.7% sodium monoxide, and 41.7% Water.

4. A cigarette or the like comprising a wrapper, a tobacco fillercontained within said wrapper and a nontoxic sodium silicate compositionin granular form interspersed with thertobacco particles, said silicatecomposition being distributed throughout the filler and beingintumescent so that it foams up and fuses under the heat of the burningcigarette to such a substantial extent to hold the tobacco ash on thecigarette and to insulate the burning portion of the cigarette from asupporting structure to prevent burning thereof, said compositioncomprising in terms of total weight approximately 24.2% silicon dioxide,36.7% sodium monoxide, and 38.1% water.

5. A cigarette or the like comprising a wrapper, a tobacco fillercontained within said wrapper and a nontoxic sodium silicate compositionin granular form interspersed with the tobacco particles, said silicatecomposition being distributed throughout the filler and beingintumescent so that it foams up and fuses under the heat of the burningcigarette to such a substantial extent to hold the tobacco ash on thecigarette and to insulate the burning portion of the cigarette from asupporting struc- 'ture to prevent burning thereof, said composition comhold the tobacco ash on the cigarette and to insulate the burningportion of the cigarette from a supporting structure to prevent burningthereof, said composition comprising in terms of total weightapproximately 28.6%

silicon dioxide, 11.4% sodium monoxide, and 60% water.

7. A cigarette or the like comprising a wrapper, a tobacco fillercontained within said wrapper and a nontoxic sodium silicate compositionintersperesd with the tobacco particles, said silicate composition beingdistributed throughout the filler and being intumescent so that it foamsup and fuses under the heat of the burning cigarette to such asubstantial extent to hold the tobacco ash on the cigarette and toinsulate the burning portion of the cigarette from a supportingstructure to prevent burning thereof, said composition being applied insolution and comprising in terms of total weight approximately 25.30%silicon dioxide, 6.75% sodium oxide, and 67.95% Water.

8. A cigarette or the like comprising a wrapper, a tobacco fillercontained within said wrapper and a nontoxic sodium silicate compositioninterspersed with the tobacco particles, said silicate composition beingdistributed throughout the filler and being intumescent so that it foamsup and fuses under the heat of the burning cigarette to such asubstantial extent to hold the tobacco ash on the cigarette and toinsulate the burning portion of the cigarette from a supportingstructure to prevent burning thereof, said composition being applied insolution and comprising in terms of total weight approximately 33.20%silicon dioxide, 13.85% sodium oxide, and 52.95% water.

References ited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,724,185 8/25Elias 106-75 2,049,320 7/ 36 Ruben et al. 131--4 X 2,114,281 4/38 Allen131-17 2,307,088 1/43 Whitely 131-4 2,327,991 8/43 Betts 131-152,839,065 6/58 Milton 131-17 2,914,072 11/59 Tyrer et al. 131-172,976,190 3/61 Meyer 131-17 2,985,175 5/61 Rich 131-15 X 2,996,065 8/61North 131-10 3,030,963 4/62 Cohn 131-15 3,034,932 5/62 Donovan et al.131-17 FOREIGN PATENTS 626,721 5/27 France.

ABRAHAM G. STONE, Primary Examiner.

MELVIN D. REIN, Examiner.

2. A CIGARETTE OR THE LIKE COMPRISING A WRAPPER, A TOBACCO FILLERCONTAINED WITHIN SAID WRAPPER AND A NONTOXIC SODIUM SILICATE COMPOSITIONIN GRANULAR FORM INTERSPERSED WITH THE TOBACCO PARTICLES, SAID SILICATECOMPOSITION BEING DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE FILLER AND BEINGINTUMESCENT SO THAT IT FOAMS UP AND FUSES UNDER THE HEAT OF THE BURNINGCIGARETTE TO SUCH A SUBSTANTIAL EXTENT TO HOLD THE TOBACCO ASH ON THECIRARETTE AND TO INSULATE THE BURNING PORTION OF THE CIGARETTE FROM ASUPPORTING